Name That Culture Enricher!

Our Swedish correspondent Freedom Fighter has translated an article from Expressen describing a recent television argument over whether the Swedish media suppress any mention of the names of immigrant criminal suspects.

The translator includes this explanation:

There was a clash on live TV about which names are published by the Swedish media. Suspects with names such as Mats or Johan — i.e. “persons of Swedish background” — are published, but not immigrant names such as Ali or Muhammad, according to the answer given by Swedish Police Professor Leif GW Persson after reading a question sent in by the public.

And his translation:

Live argument on the Swedish TV program “Wanted”

Leif GW Persson and Hasse Aro clashed on a live TV broadcast

Leif GW Persson and Hasse Aro clashed — in the midst of ongoing live coverage.

The police professor criticizes his friend for his broadcasting decisions in the program “Wanted”.

“We started jawing,” said Leif GW Persson afterwards.

Facts

The fight word for word:

“I’m pretty sure why. Namely, that if Mats Nilsson and Ragnar Alm had instead been called, for example, Ali Hassan, we would not have published,” says Leif GW Persson.

Hasse Aro’s brief answer: “There you have it all wrong.”

The discussion become increasingly heated:

“I do not think so for a moment,” says Leif GW Persson.

“I say that you are completely wrong, for it is I who decides what is published,” counters Hasse Aro.

They have worked together for eleven years and socialize privately. They have had discussions before, but not like this.

At the end of yesterday’s “Wanted”, Police Professor Leif GW Persson received a written question from the public about whether Swedish media deliberately choose not to publish names of foreign criminals. The police professor agreed with a letter writer about this — and suddenly the clash heated up.

“Specifically, that if Mats Alm and Ragnar Nilsson had been named for instance Ali ben Hassan then we would not have published,” says Leif GW Persson.

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Hasse Aro’s short answer: “You have it all wrong.”

The row continued for some time.

Named killer

The background is that several Swedish media, including “Wanted” and Expressen, have named Ragnar Nilsson, the admitted killer of his siblings and stepfather, but have refrained from naming the 23-year-old suspected of having killed 78-year-old Inger in Landskrona.

“I told it like it is, I have thought long about this,” says Leif GW Persson afterwards.

“But according to Hans, it is not so. He said that one confessed and ‘blah blah blah’, but then I said that this is ‘that’s weird’.”

Misplaced consideration

Hasse Aro, the program’s presenter, is of an entirely different opinion:

“GW suggested it was some kind of misplaced ethnic consideration. And that’s when I protested. Because I know exactly on what basis we make these decisions, because it is I who make them.”

Do you often have that kind of debate?

“Not quite at this level. Most of the time that he thinks things and has opinions. In this case, I knew how it really was. So I told it like it was.”

“Not racist”

Leif GW Persson emphasizes that he is not racist — he just dislikes double standards.

“Keep on like that — it’s the f***ing way to help the Sweden Democrats. They argue that the media is on the side of foreign criminals, which is preposterous. It’s just a misguided attempt to help but it makes things more inflamed.

“The proportion of the those who vote for the Sweden Democrats will increase because of the incident in Landskrona — and thanks to the media’s way of handling it.”

Aro supported

“Wanted” editor Peter Sundsten commented on the clash in this way:

“We adapt and make the same assessments as other Swedish media. GW’s criticism is his own opinion. I fully share Hasse’s point of view”

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